Updated 09 Jan 2011
Company Websites: (further details below) |
| Chiron |
| Custom Coaches |
| Denning Manufacturing |
| Express Coach Builders |
| Irizar |
| Mills-Tui |
| Northcoast |
| Volgren |
Body builders shown in bold are still producing bus bodies.
| Name | Description/Location |
| Alan B Denning | Alan B Denning, Brisbane QLD Update: Nov 2003 - the company was placed into voluntary administration, but continues to trade for the time being. Update: Mid 2004 - the business sold to a new company trading as Denning Manufacturing Pty Ltd. |
| ABM | Australian Bus Manufacturing Co, Royal Park, Adelaide SA The Adelaide factory of APG was purchased by a consortium of Jim Bosnjak (former owner of Westbus/National Bus); Custom Coaches owner Jack Violet and former federal opposition leader and now merchant banker John Hewson (first buses delivered during April 1999). Update: Mid 2000 - John Hewson sold his share in the company in ABM. Update: Late 2000 - even though operating as the Adelaide factory of Custom Coaches, it has kept to producing only the range of former APG body styles - with the exception of putting CB60 fronts on 11 APG-type MAN low-floors for STA Adelaide. Update: 2001 - ABM is still building its own body styles, but has also been building some Custom Coaches style bodies. Update: Early 2004 - trading name changed from ABM to Custom Coaches SA. |
| AD | Austral-Denning, Brisbane QLD. Acquired by AP |
| Alnor | Alnor Body Works, Sydney NSW |
| Ansair | Ansair Tullamarine VIC; Tamworth NSW; or Kingston TAS. Acquired by AP |
| AP / APG | Austral Pacific Group, Geebung, Brisbane QLD; Tamworth NSW; Royal Park, Adelaide SA; Tullamarine VIC Ceased operations late 1998 after the collapse of parent company Clifford Corporation |
| Austral | Austral, Brisbane QLD. Acquired by AP |
| Autobus | Australian Autobus, Slacks Creek QLD Ceased operation in 2006. |
| Bolton | Bolton, Perth WA |
| Bus & Coach International |
Bus & Coach International, WA (are not technically a body builder, but import fully built vehicles from overseas) |
| BT Workshops | Brisbane Transport Workshops, Qld. Following the collapse of the Austral Pacific group, BT Workshops completed a number of partly built Volvo B10L's. They then bodied two Volvo B6's (from body kits supplied by Volgren). They were then awarded a contract to body CNG-powered Scania low-floors, again from from body kits supplied by Volgren. |
| Bustech | West Burleigh, QLD. Established in 1998, owned by the Calabro family (operators of Surfside Buslines and other companies) |
| CAC | Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, Melbourne VIC Some vehicles produced were branded as "Comair". |
| CC / Custom Coaches |
Custom Coaches - Sydney NSW, (Originally known
as CCMC (Cycle Components Mfg Corp)) Preston VIC, Arundel (Gold Coast) Qld & Royal Park (Adelaide) SA Update: from Early 2004 the former ABM factory in Royal Park, Adelaide SA operates under the name Custom Coaches SA http://www.custom-coaches.com.au/ |
| Chiron | Chiron Commercial Vehicles A 100% Australian owned and managed company focused on the design & manufacture of high quality, versatile & cost effective bus bodies formed in 2002. Chiron |
| Coach Design | Coach Design, Archerfield, Brisbane QLD (formerly known as GBW) |
| Comeng/CVI | Commercial Vehicle Industries, Sydney NSW (formerly Comeng) |
| Domino | Domino Industries, Northgate QLD |
| Domino Hedges | Domino Hedges, Northgate QLD |
| Denning | Denning, Acacia Ridge QLD |
| Denning Manufacturing |
Denning Manufacturing Pty Ltd Commenced Mid-2004 after purchasing the business of Alan B Denning which was in voluntary administration. Denning Manufacturing |
| Express | Express Coach Builders, Macksville NSW (formerly known as Nambucca) http://www.expresscoachbuilders.com/ |
| Freighter | Freighter Industries, Adelaide SA (became PMCSA) |
| Fuji | Fuji Heavy Industries, Japan |
| GBW | Gamer, Brewer & Winter, Brisbane QLD (later Coach Design) |
| Hilquip | Hilquip Engineering, Perth WA |
| Irizar | Irizar Oceania. An Australian company which owns the Oceania
distribution rights to a luxury coach product originating from Spain,
however now manufactured in Brazil. Also see http://www.irizar.com.br/representantes_venda_carrocerias.php |
| Jakab | Jakab Industries, Tamworth NSW (no longer build buses but remain as a
specialist vehicle builder (e.g. ambulances). Update: Ceased operating completely approx 2003. |
| Leyland | Leyland, Workington UK (Leyland Lynxes) |
| MBS | Motor Body Specialists, Brisbane QLD (now Rogers) |
| Mills-Tui | New Zealand based company which have obtained the designs for the
'Majestic' body, will build the 'Majestic' along with 'Valere' and 'Orbit'
bodies. Commenced operations approx April 2001. http://www.mills-tui.com.au |
| MCA/Motorcoach | Motorcoach Australia, Brisbane QLD (incorporated into AP) |
| Motorcoach | Motorcoach, Archerfield, Brisbane QLD. The Motorcoach name was relaunched as a bodybuilder (approx 1999) by interstate coach operator McCaffertys, using the 'Classic' body style formerly produced by APG. After initially only building coaches for McCaffertys, they branched out into constructing vehicles for other operators. Update: Ceased building buses early 2004. |
| NCBC | North Coast Bus & Coach, Caloundra QLD http://www.ncbc.com.au |
| NZMB | New Zealand Motor Bodies |
| Nambucca | Nambucca River Engineering, Macksville NSW (now known as Express) |
| Newnham | Newnham, Melbourne VIC (now Custom Coaches) |
| P&D | P & D Coachworks, Murwillumbah NSW |
| Phoenix Bus | Tamworth, NSW. Associated with Jakab. Acquired the former AP factory. Set up initially to finish the remainder of the STA (Sydney) Volvo B10BLE contract, the company intends to continue bodying buses. UPDATE: Mid 2000 - Phoenix withdrew from the bus building industry after failing to attract customers. |
| PMC | Pressed Metal Corporation, Revesby, Sydney NSW; or Adelaide, SA Acquired by AP |
| PMCA | Pressed Metal Corporation Australia, Adelaide SA (Acquired by AP) |
| PMCSA | Pressed Metal Corporation South Australia, Adelaide SA (renamed PMCA) |
| QBB | Queensland Body Builders was formed as a subsidiary of ANI (Australian National Industries) to complete a Brisbane Volvo B10M contract started by Comeng (also at the time owned by ANI). Approx 70 buses were built from 1989 to 1990 to a similar design to the Comeng ones. No other buses were built. |
| QCC | Queensland Coach Company. Established in 1999, they purchased the
plans etc. for the "Majestic" coach body from the failed Austral Pacific
Group. Initially bodied coaches for Greyhound-Pioneer, but later built buses
for others. Update: Late 2000 - QCC have ceased operating. |
| Rogers | Rogers & Sons, Wacol, Brisbane QLD |
| Smithfield | Smithfield Bus & Coach, Sydney NSW (now part of Custom Coaches) |
| Superior | Superior, Brisbane QLD |
| Volgren | Volgren, Dandenong (Melbourne) VIC (also have a factory in Perth WA) http://www.volgren.com.au/ |